BASEBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Cohasset, Plymouth North hope to reign again

Thursday

May 31, 2012 at 12:01 AMMay 31, 2012 at 3:29 PM

Cohasset (Div. 4) and Plymouth North (Div. 2) will look to defend their state championships when the South Sectional tournaments begin Friday.

Eleven Ledgerland baseball teams will be chasing state-championship glory when the South Sectional tournaments get underway on Friday.

Here are three storylines to follow:

STILL THE CHAMPS?

Cohasset (Div. 4) and Plymouth North (Div. 2) are trying to defend their crowns. Cohasset, in fact, has captured back-to-back state titles – in dominant fashion. The Skippers have won 10 straight playoff games by an aggregate score of 98-14.

It could be more of the same this year as Cohasset (18-2) is the high-flying No. 1 seed in the South Sectional. “Things are jelling at the right time,” said coach Pete Afanasiw, whose team hosts No. 16 Millis (7-14) on Friday at 4. “We’re getting good pitching, timely hitting and improving defense.”

“We have a unique opportunity,” Afanasiw said. “Half of the team has a lot of playoff experience. They know what it takes.”

Plymouth North won Div. 2 state championships in 2008 and 2011 and has made the South Sectional final each of the last four years.

“We’re not feeling any of that pressure,” to be honest, coach Dwayne Follette said. “We just have to be able to hit the ball. We’re going to field and pitch well. If we hit to our capabilities, the sky’s the limit.”

The Blue Eagles (13-7) are seeded sixth this year and host No. 11 Stoughton (10-10) on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Senior ace Alex Rozak (6-2, 1.35 ERA) will be on the mound for that one, with Jake Stearns (5-3, 3.12 ERA), Vinny Tavernelli (4-0, 3.03 ERA) and Cody Holmes (1.36 ERA) in reserve.

It will be Delano’s first appearance on the mound in a playoff game since the 6-7 senior tore a ligament in his right elbow in the Wamps’ opener two years ago. After undergoing Tommy John surgery, he served as DH/first baseman during Braintree’s run to the South semis in 2011.

“We didn’t care what seed we were or who we were playing,” Braintree coach Bill O’Connell said. “When you’ve got one of the best pitchers in the state you should feel confident.”

ONE AND DONE

That’s a pattern that No. 3 Marshfield (16-4) would like to end in this year’s Div. 1 South tournament. The Rams have been eliminated in the first round four straight times, but with senior left-hander Kevin Kwedor (7-0, 0.33 ERA, 43 IP, 26 hits) on the mound, things look promising for Friday’s opener at home vs. No. 14 Brookline (12-8).

“We’re trying to get off to a good start,” Marshfield coach Bill Battis said. “I’m not saying put up a crooked number right away in the first inning but just grind out at-bats and play sound defense, get the first batters out in innings, establish our start.”